Richard D Fain News

Silver Moon, Silversea Cruises' newest ship in its "ultra-luxury" fleet, was christened Thursday in Athens, Greece. The naming ceremony was held in the port of Piraeus.At 40,700 gross tons and with a maximum capacity of 596 guests, Silver Moon is the cruise line’s second Muse-class ship.Constructed by Fincantieri at its Ancona shipyard, Silver Moon is an evolution of her sister ship Silver Muse, Silversea Cruises said."The ship benefits from re-imagined public spaces, butler service in all suite categories…

The Centers for Disease Control said it had approved one cruise ship from Royal Caribbean to resume sailing in June, more than a year after U.S. cruising was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.The Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge will depart from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on June 26, the cruise company said. It will be the first U.S. departing cruise in a more than a year with paying passengers.“Cruising from the U.S. is back!” Richard D. Fain, Royal Caribbean Group chairman and chief executive officer said in a statement.The CDC said it is committed to working with the cruise industry and ports to resume cruising in…

Cruise giant Royal Caribbean Group said it has completed the sale of its Azamara brand to private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $201 million in cash. The sale, which was announced earlier this year, includes Azamara’s three-ship fleet and associated intellectual property.Miami-based Royal Caribbean said the the deal allows it to focus on expanding its core brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises as it continues to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 cruise pause.“This creates huge opportunities for all parties,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “In fact, as we are inking this deal today, Azamara already has added a fourth ship to their fleet.

Cruise operator Royal Caribbean Group said on Tuesday it reached a deal to sell its Azamara brand to private-equity firm Sycamore Partners for $201 million in cash, as it grapples with biting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.Sycamore Partners will acquire the entire Azamara brand, including its three-ship fleet—Azamara Quest, Azamara Journey and Azamara Pursuit—and associated intellectual property. In conjunction with the transaction, Azamara Chief Operating Officer Carol Cabezas has been appointed President of the brand.Royal Caribbean said it will incur a one-time, non-cash impairment charge of approximately $170 million, but claimed…

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri said it has handed over the second of three new “Muse” series ultra-luxury cruise ships it is constructing for Royal Caribbean's Silversea Cruises.Silver Moon, built at Fincantieri's Ancona yard and delivered on Friday, is a sister ship of Silver Muse, that went out to sea in 2017 from the Sestri Ponente (Ge) shipyard, and of Silver Dawn, to be delivered in 2021 in Ancona. At 40,700 gross tons, the newbuild has capacity for 596 passengers in 298 all-suite cabins.Among the vessel’s notations…

Royal Caribbean Group has acquired the remaining shares of Silversea Cruises, a specialist in the ultra-luxury and expedition cruising, after previously buying a two-thirds share of the cruise line in July 2018.The remaining one-third stake held by Heritage Cruise Holding Ltd. was paid for in the form of 5.2 million shares of Royal Caribbean Group common stock, which represents about 2.5% of the total common stock."Silversea has been a great fit for our company from the very first day," said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group.

Army veteran-turned-Royal Caribbean Cruise Line founder Edwin W. Stephan passed away on Friday at 87 years old."We at Royal Caribbean mourn his loss and extend our deepest sympathies to the Stephan family," said a statement from the global cruise company said.In 1969 Stephan founded the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and his contributions helped create the modern cruise industry we know today. Under his leadership in 1970, the company launched Song of Norway, the first ship purpose-built for warm-water cruising.Since that initial voyage, Stephan's fledgling company has grown into the world's second largest cruise line, a multi-billion-dollar global company of six brands…

Cruise line Royal Caribbean International officially took delivery of the 26th ship in its fleet, 169,000 grt Spectrum of the Seas, in a ceremony Thursday in Bremerhaven, Germany.The first ship in the Quantum-Ultra class, the Meyer Werft built Spectrum of the Seas measures 347.1 meters long and 41.4 meters wide. Altogether, the vessel has 18 decks with 2,137 cabins offering space for 4,246 passengers in double occupancy and 1,551 crew members.The Bahamas flagged Spectrum of the Seas will be the largest and most expensive ship in Asia when she arrives to her new home in Shanghai on June 3…

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL) just gave confirmation of an order for Chantiers de l’Atlantique, according to a previous option agreement, to build a new Oasis-class cruise ship, due for delivery in the fall of 2023.“At her delivery, she will be the twenty third cruise ship built by our yard for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, and we are especially proud of it”, said Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique."With her outstanding dimensions, the new 2857-cabin ship (hull A35) will belong, like her sister ships of the Oasis-Class, to the category of the largest cruise ships ever built," said a press release.As per some contracts previously signed with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd for Oasis-Class ships…

Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) and Silversea Cruises announced agreements to build three new ships for Silversea Cruises, including two luxury vessels as well as a single expedition ship for the Galapagos.Silversea, the luxury and expedition cruise brand that recently joined the RCL family, signed a memorandum of understanding with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft to build two new vessels in its new Evolution Class. The first Evolution Class ship is expected to deliver in 2022.Silversea also signed a contract with Dutch shipbuilder Shipyard De Hoop to construct a new expedition vessel, named Silver Origin, that will serve the Galapagos Islands itinerary currently sailed by Silver Galapagos.

At 362 meters long, 66 meters wide and 70 meters high, Royal Caribbean’s new 228,081 GRT cruise ship takes the “world’s largest” title. Mega ship Symphony of the Seas was delivered today to owner Royal Caribbean International from French shipbuilder STX France who has been constructing the vessel since 2015. The new cruise liner, which boasts 18 decks total with capacity for 6,800 passengers in 2,747 staterooms and is crewed by more than 2,000 staff members, takes the size crown from her slightly smaller sister vessel, Harmony of the Seas.

Richard Fain, the chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.and Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, CEO of Celebrity Cruises—one of three brands in the Royal Caribbean family—announced a new category of ship that, among other transformational design moves, brings stateroom balconies indoors. Designed completely in 3-D, and featuring the work of A-list global architects and designers, the 2,918-guest Celebrity Edge aims to make discerning global travelers redefine how they experience the world and how intimate a vacation can be. “Celebrity Edge is one of the most exciting, innovative and transformational ships I have ever been involved with,” said Richard D. Fain.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has entered into an agreement to sell Legend of the Seas to Thomson Cruises in the UK. Legend will depart Royal Caribbean’s 25-ship fleet in March 2017 and immediately transition to its new owner. The 1,832-passenger ship will join the Thomson fleet in May 2017, and will sail under the name of TUI Discovery 2. The news comes nine days before the launch of the line's latest ship TUI Discovery - another former Royal Caribbean ship and a sister to Legend, Splendour of the Seas. While financial terms of the ship's sale were not disclosed, the transaction would result in "an immaterial gain" upon its delivery to Thomson, the Miami-based cruise company said.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd reported 2015 results and provided guidance for 2016. Continuing on its Double-Double trajectory, the company’s adjusted earnings for 2015 were $4.83 per share – up 42% over 2014, and are expected to further increase to $5.90 – $6.10 in 2016. The world's second-largest cruise operator posted net income in the period of $206.8 million or 94 cents a share. That compared with $109.7 million, or 49 cents, the year before, the company announced. Revenue in the quarter rose 4.6 percent to $1.9 billion from a year ago. Still, while Royal Caribbean's earnings per share beat analysts' estimates of 92 cents, it missed the revenue forecast of $1.95 billion, according to Zacks Equity Research.

The hulking shell of Royal Caribbean’s “Harmony of the Seas” — the world’s largest cruise ship — entered the water in France on Friday. It’s expected to take its maiden voyage in 2016. The huge vessel has been under construction since September 2013 in the shipyards in Saint-Nazaire. The 16-deck ship will carry 6,360 passengers along with 2,100 staff. It weighs 227,000 tons and measures 1,187 feet — that’s 50 meters longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower. Harmony is also a metre wider than the current twin ocean-going monsters of the pleasure cruise world, which are also 362 metres long. "Allure of the Seas" and "Oasis of the Seas", the world's biggest cruise ships in current service, is 65 metres wide and come in at 225,000 tonnes a piece.

Royal Caribbean has ordered a fourth ship for its Quantum Class family of ships from Meyer Werft. The ship will be delivered in 2019. With two Quantum-class vessels already delivered and a third under construction, Royal Caribbean Cruises on Thursday announced plans to order a fourth. The Miami-based cruise ship company said it had entered into an agreement with the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany to build the 4,180-passenger vessel. The sister ship to Quantum and Anthem of the Seas will be delivered in 2019, three years after Ovation of the Seas joins the fleet of Royal Caribbean International. Richard D. Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is expected to debut in 2016 and will be the world's largest cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean International took delivery of its 23rd ship, Anthem of the Seas. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain officially received the new ship from Meyer Werft Yard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer in a signing ceremony held in Bremerhaven, Germany. Anthem of the Seas will now sail to Southampton, U.K., where the ship will homeport through October and sail to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands. The ship will be inaugurated in Southampton on April 20…

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its cruise ship Splendour of the Seas to TUI Cruises in the second quarter of 2016. The ship will then be leased to Thomson Cruises, which will operate the vessel. Richard D. Splendour of the Seas will complete all scheduled open deployment, and no sailings will be altered or disrupted due to the sale. Her final sailing will commence on April 4, 2016, and all officers and crew will remain with…

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (NYSE, OSLO: RCL) named two senior company executives to lead the company’s two largest brands. Michael Bayley, who worked his way up from an assistant purser’s position aboard the Nordic Prince, will serve as President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, whose career at the company began in the New England sales office, will serve as President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “This is a happy day for Michael and Lisa, and a proud day for all of us at the company,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Celebrity Cruises has taken a bold step in ship design with the signing of a letter of intent for a new class of vessels, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and French shipbuilder STX France announced today. The two 2,900-guest, 117,000-gross-registered-ton ships, developed under the project name EDGE will build upon the modern luxury experience of the brand’s Millennium and Solstice Class vessels. At 984 feet long, 123 feet wide and 190 feet high, Project EDGE will deliver small ship itineraries with large ship amenities, a perfect vacation experience in step with today’s premium vacationer. “The addition of two project EDGE vessels to our fleet delivers on our long-term strategic plan of moderate capacity growth…

Royal Caribbean International took delivery today of the newest addition to the cruise line’s fleet, Quantum of the Seas, from Meyer Werft Yard, at an official signing ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany attended by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain and Meyer Werft Yard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer. With Captain Srecko “Felix” Ban at the helm, the ship will begin her journey today to Southampton, U.K., where she will welcome her first guests on November 2, for a trans-Atlantic voyage to her home port of Cape Liberty Cruise Port, Bayonne, New Jersey.

Tech-savvy modern travelers will be wowed by Royal Caribbean International's newest ship, 'Quantum of the Seas', which incorporates unprecedented levels of technology to amp up the vacation experience, say owners Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. A brand new venue onboard Quantum of the Seas, 'Bionic Bar', is set to make waves with robots at center stage. Guests place orders via tablets and then have fun watching robotic bartenders hard at work mixing cocktails. Boatloads of bandwidth keep guests connected says the cruise line; easy-to-use systems expand guest choices and simplify schedules; and RFID technology speeds the boarding process and allows guests to keep track of their luggage every step of the way.

Announcement Made as STX France Lays Keel for Third Oasis-Class Ship. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. announced today that it has agreed with STX France to move forward on the order of a fourth Oasis-class ship for delivery in 2018. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard D. Fain and President and Chief Operating Officer Adam Goldstein, along with STX France Chief Executive Officer Laurent Castaing, announced the planned ship order at the keel-laying ceremony for the third Oasis-class ship at the STX shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.